TurboCAD Query: Maintaining Rendering Acrss File-types?

To answer your question: I don't know.

What are you going to think about?

Martin.

Last of the summer wine, loosely.

Foggy. We need to think a little.

Clegg. No. we need to think a lot, it's thinking a little that gets us into trouble.

I'm with Clegg on this one as I now find myself in the same boat. Cad wise.

You'll never know until you get the downloads and have a play.

Have taken the plunge, loaded the trial edition of Alibre Atom, plus book-marked that tutorial that has you draw a sort of "executive toy" - a wheel turned by a crank via a simple universal joint.

So far I've completed the first two instalments: the joint's cross (called a "Link" and the crank-handle plus clevis.

With some tangles in places, including one that erased some of the drawn features. Luckily I was able to back-track and re-draw them.

My thought is to work their exercises then perhaps try copying some parts from the existing drawings; before going too mad and designing something from cold. (I would anyway start that with a pencil sketch so I'm not trying to think both mechanical design and CAD at the same time - I can work simple designs "cold" in TurboCAD 2D but only because I have become sufficiently fluent in that.)

I've also looked up the purchase price: £200 all but a penny; which seems pretty reasonable for software of that nature.

Worth every bean IMO, can't believe my luck

I'm cobbling together an MG42 as a sheet metal experiment at the moment

Perhaps Nigel, you should start a new thread? I would be interested in following your progress as I am sure others would too.

.

+1 from this quiet corner

The dust having apparently settled … “Nigel’s Progress” would be a welcome read.

MichaelG.

I'll wait till I've something worth showing. Not necessarily complicated, perhaps a version of something I've already made, or in a plan set, but not simply one of the tutorial drawings by rote.

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I've not given up on TurboCAD because I can use its 2D mode to a reasonably practical level and anyway have a lot of drawings on it. To develop using its 3D mode, though, I'd need a lot more practice. From studying IMSI's web-site recently, I might also have been unknowingly trying to use the 'Deluxe' edition for apparently simple tasks but beyond its as well as my range, so becoming confused and frustrated why it doesn't do as I expect.

I'd suggest you stay focused on Atom, or you'll confuse yourself by jumping between ways of thinking.

Martin..

I take your point but I need keep TC "alive" because I have quite a library of orthographic, and few 3D, drawings on it, including one under development and very fluid as it is for my part-made steam-wagon's engine and transmission.

Once you become familiar with Atom3D workflows (but don't rush into trying this) - you can export orthographic views from TC as DXF or DWG then import into Atom3D and use as basis for building a 3D model.

Now for simple stuff, it's often faster to re-model from scratch - but starting from an imported DXF/DWG can be a useful option.

That's probably something to look at later in your free trial, or if you do decide to purchase Atom3D.

This was drawn using the excellent Don Cheke tutorials. I purchased a number and they lead you step by keystroke step to draw the 3d element. The caboose pictured is started by drawing the rails and then building up the drawing to finally render to achieve the picture. I also completed the electric motor tutorial which starts at the shaft and works outwards. Each tutorial providing insights into the 3d drawing process, the tools and how to address various drawing challenges. I note the Don Cheke website is down unfortunately. I still have the purchased sizeable pdfs which lead you through the process. I can’t produce what is displayed on my own but by completing the tutorials I greatly improved my understanding.